Don't try the old "flame test" for magnesium. If you heat it with the propane torch, it will ignite and burn with a brilliant blue-white flame until nothing is left but a powdery ash. I learned this when trying to cut out rusty bolts from junk lawnmower frames years ago

David: absolutely correct. Magnesium is a very volatile metal. Magnesium flame testing... you’re not actually burning it but igniting it. Magnesium is used in Roman candles, aerial fireworks, and MOST fire based fuses. Gives off beautiful sparks.

So how do you tell magnesium from manganese? Well I guess the fastest way is to make a pile and set it on fire. Anything left over that is metal is manganese. The powder is un-scrapable magnesium oxide. Makes great fertiliser for conifers though! ;)

Bottom line is don’t. Just a bad idea. And if you must, NEVER throw water on the blase. You get instantaneous oxidation and hydrogen release creating a big explosion, 10,000•+ flame, a blinding (as in never see again) flash, and that’s assuming you survive the heat blast.

_________________-- my grades are my own and do not represent an offer from boardsort, nor are they guaranteed. Please keep that in mind.

You can place those top covers of steel and stainless steel in an old pot (not one your wife cooks with) and heat the water to boil and the glue holding the two metals will get loose and you can put shred in one pile and stainless in another

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum